


Mistakes

by afteriwake



Category: CSI: NY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-18
Updated: 2012-09-18
Packaged: 2017-11-14 12:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/515300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With his job on the line, he can't afford to make mistakes, but someone makes him see the bright side of things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mistakes

There were a lot of different mistakes he'd made in his life. Little ones, like a wrong answer on a test or a wrong turn when trying to find a crime scene to do field work at. Some bigger ones as well, like telling one of his girlfriends what he _really_ thought of the too tight dress she'd been wearing (and that mistake warranted a bump on the forehead from getting hit with a book). But he was lucky, so very lucky, that he hadn't made a major mistake in his life, one so big there was no fixing it.

Until maybe now.

He hadn't meant to take apart the evidence. It had been left in his lab and he'd thought he was supposed to process it. He was almost done with the test when Mac came running in looking for it, but by then it was too late. He'd already taken it apart and the pieces were too small to put back together perfectly again.

He was relieved that Mac hadn't yelled at him, and was surprised that there had been no disapproving glances or clipped words. It had been his fault that the evidence was in pieces now, but Mac had admitted that his attention had lapsed as to where each piece of evidence went before it was processed. In fact, Mac had said it was _his_ fault, and he would take responsibility for it.

But Mac's job wasn't on the line the way his job was on the line. Stella's gathering of paid vacation time had only bought him a little time, and a slip-up like this...well, it could spell the end of his career here in New York City.

"Adam?"

He looked up from the cup of coffee he'd been dejectedly staring at and looked straight at Angell's face. "Detective Angell?"

She smiled warmly at him. "Yeah. I didn't think you knew my name. And you can call me Jessica."

"I didn't think you'd remembered mine," he said, a small grin etching his face.

"I don't see you very often, but I know who you are. A lot of the cops know who you are. You know, when you got taken hostage and you saved those cops from getting shot?" She took a sip of her coffee. "Word gets around."

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

She nodded. "Yeah." Then she nodded slightly to the seat in front of him. "Mind if I sit down? I've been on my feet for the last hour waiting for Messer to process some evidence."

"Sure," he said, moving his cup of coffee closer to him.

She sat down and rotated her neck slightly. "How's your day been?"

"Not that great."

"Is that why you were looking at your coffee as if it was the only thing you had left int he world that was good?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "I processed a piece of evidence I shouldn't have."

"Oh," she said quietly. "Not good."

"Tell me about it." He picked up his cup and took a drink. "And Mac said it wasn't really my fault, that it was more his, but it happened at a bad time, you know?"

"Yeah, I heard about the upcoming layoffs," she said with a nod. "I take it you got a notice?"

He nodded. "But Stell got everyone to give up vacation time for me, so I've got some extra time. If I don't get fired over this first."

"If Mac says it was more his fault then yours I bet he'll make sure everyone sees it that way," she pointed out. "He's that kind of guy. He won't throw you to the wolves."

"I know," he said. "I just...I worry."

"It's natural," she said. Just then her phone rang. She glanced at the incoming number and smiled. "I need to go take this. Personal call."

"Okay," he said with a nod.

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, if I can do something to help keep you around, I will," she said. "The lab needs more guys like you in it."

He started to respond but she'd taken two steps away from the table and had her phone to her ear. He watched her leave and then was surprised when his own phone rang. He recognized the number. "Stella?"

"You know that piece of evidence you took apart?" she said. Her voice was raised so he was sure she was outside.

"Yeah?"

"Did you say there was silica embedded in the parts covered with soot?"

"Yeah."

"Adam, you may have just cracked the case. I have to go, but I just wanted to let you know, okay?"

"Thanks, Stella," he said, a wide grin forming on his face as he heard her hang up on him. Maybe not every mistake was a bad one in the end...


End file.
